New University at Albany football head coach Greg Gattuso preached the same message after Tuesday's practice that he sold to his players when he met them for the first time eight months ago.

"We concede nothing to nobody," Gattuso said. "We're not going to concede games to people because people think we can't beat them or we're not as good as them. That's just not the way we're going to be."

They'll start with Holy Cross in the season opener Saturday night at Bob Ford Field. A victory would match the Great Danes' win total for the entire 2013 season. They went 1-11 overall, 0-8 in league play, in their introduction to the Colonial Athletic Association.

UAlbany returns eight offensive starters and five defensive starters from that team, led by senior running back Omar Osbourne, the team's only player honored on the preseason all-CAA team.

"With the new coaches, we've all got a new attitude with the new guys that we have," said Osbourne, who ran for 1,206 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. "We haven't forgotten about that one-win season. It's always in the back of our mind. We never want to let that happen again, especially us upperclass guys. We know what it feels like, and we never want to repeat that in our last year on this field."

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At a glance

UAlbany vs. Holy Cross

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bob Ford Field. Albany

Web/radio: ESPN3, WGY (810 AM, 103.1 FM)

5 questions for UAlbany to answer this season

1. When will UAlbany win its first game at Bob Ford Field? The Great Danes went winless there in the inaugural season of 2013.

2. How will the offensive line hold up? The Great Danes had trouble protecting QB Will Fiacchi last year (27 sacks).

3. Will the UAlbany defense be more opportunistic? The Danes forced only 13 turnovers last season with a paltry four interceptions.

4. Can WR Cole King regain his big-play form? He had no touchdown catches last season.

5. Can Greg Gattuso show he's a worthy successor to Bob Ford? It's a large responsibility to carry on Ford's legacy.

Senior quarterback Will Fiacchi said the Great Danes should benefit from having a year of experience in the CAA, painful as it was trying to adjust to one of the best leagues in the Football Championship Subdivision.

"I think it's huge," Fiacchi said. "That first year, you watch film and you think you know what to expect. When you get out there, it's a different speed. It's a different caliber of player. I think that year is very helpful to not only me, but the young offensive linemen that played last year, as well as the skill guys who got experience versus that speed on a week-to-week basis, and now we know what to expect."

Gattuso brought in a new coordinator, Joe Bernard, to work with an offense that finished second-to-last in the CAA with 18.4 points per game, third-to-last at 354.2 yards of total offense per contest and dead last with a 29.4 percent conversion rate on third downs.

Nevertheless, Fiacchi said he's "very confident" that UAlbany's offense will be more productive this season.

"We have, in my opinion, the best running back in the league (Osbourne) in our backfield," Fiacchi said. "On top of that, we've got guys on the perimeter who got experience in that conference last year, some older guys along with some new faces that can make plays and an experienced line that is going to help us become a very explosive offense."

The Great Danes have no seniors on the offensive line on their two-deep chart. UAlbany has a new left tackle in redshirt sophomore Kevin Malloy, a converted tight end with potential that excites Gattuso. He'll line up along left guard Michael Senn or Domenic LaFragola, center Adam Wierbinski, right guard Matt Campion of Stillwater and right tackle Adam Pasnik, who all have started.

Fiacchi stressed the importance of spreading the field so defenses can't load up to stop Osbourne. To that end, Fiacchi will throw to a pair of senior wide receivers in Cole King and Jake Meek, along with inexperienced junior Devon Maio and freshman Josh Gontarek, a member of Gattuso's first recruiting class from Mount Airy, Md.

The Great Danes have a dangerous tight end in senior Brian Parker, on the watch list for the College Football Performance Awards. He had 30 catches last season.

Defensively, Gattuso is trying to upgrade a unit that allowed the most points in the CAA with 34.3 points per game last season. He says there's depth in the front seven that includes end John Forster and tackle Zach Troutman.

He acknowledged UAlbany doesn't have the same talent or depth as some of its CAA rivals, but insists the Great Danes can be successful.

"It's not always the most talented team that wins games," Gattuso said. "It's the best team. We can be a great team that does things right, doesn't get penalties, doesn't turn the ball over and we're going to win games and give people fits."